The cheat for a helicopter in GTA 5 gives you a Buzzard Attack Chopper, and you activate it with BUZZOFF on PC, the phone number 1-999-289-9633 on any platform, or the button sequence Circle, Circle, L1, Circle, Circle, Circle, L1, L2, R1, Triangle, Circle, Triangle on PlayStation and B, B, LB, B, B, B, LB, LT, RB, Y, B, Y on Xbox. There is no code for any other helicopter, so if you want a Maverick, Frogger, Swift or Cargobob you will need to find one on the map instead.
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This guide covers both routes: the cheat itself, and the fixed helicopter spawn locations that let you fly without disabling your achievements. First, a table of eight Rockstar Games titles worth playing if Los Santos has you hooked.
| Game | Platform | Genre | Why It’s Great | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto V | PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One | Open-World Action | Three protagonists, a working stock market and an absurdly detailed city | 10/10 |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | PC, PS4, Xbox One | Open-World Western | The most convincing living world ever committed to a game engine | 10/10 |
| Grand Theft Auto IV | PC, PS3, Xbox 360 | Open-World Action | Weightier driving and the series’ most grounded, human story | 9.5/10 |
| GTA: San Andreas – The Definitive Edition | PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox, Switch | Open-World Action | Three cities, jets, jetpacks and the largest map of the classic era | 8/10 |
| GTA: Vice City – The Definitive Edition | PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox, Switch | Open-World Action | The strongest soundtrack and art direction in the whole franchise | 8.5/10 |
| Red Dead Redemption | PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox | Open-World Western | John Marston’s story remains one of gaming’s finest endings | 9.5/10 |
| Max Payne 3 | PC, PS3, Xbox 360 | Third-Person Shooter | Bullet-time gunplay with genuinely best-in-class animation | 9/10 |
| L.A. Noire | PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch | Detective Adventure | Interrogation built on facial capture that still feels unique | 8.5/10 |
Using the cheat for a helicopter in GTA 5
All three entry methods deliver the same aircraft, and none is inherently better than the others once you understand the quirks of each. Cheats only function in Story Mode; GTA Online ignores them entirely.
Which helicopter the cheat actually gives you
The Buzzard Attack Chopper is a compact two-seat gunship fitted with twin miniguns and homing missiles. That armament is why it is the only chopper Rockstar attached to a cheat: it turns the code into an offensive tool rather than a taxi. The trade-off is durability. The Buzzard is lightly built, takes damage poorly and can be destroyed by concentrated ground fire or a single NPC rocket. It also has only two seats, so it is useless if you need to move a crowd. For pure transport, a Maverick found on the map is the better aircraft.
Entering the cheat on console versus PC
Console entry demands speed. The button sequence must be pressed in rapid succession while your character is on foot, and hesitating between inputs resets the whole chain. A confirmation tone plays when it registers. If nothing happens, assume a timing failure rather than a wrong button. PC is far more relaxed: press the tilde key above Tab to open the cheat console, type BUZZOFF and hit Enter, with no timing pressure at all. On UK, German and Nordic layouts the console key may be the backtick, the section symbol or whichever key sits left of the number 1. Anyone entering codes regularly will notice the difference a responsive board makes, which is the core of our mechanical keyboard buying guide.
The phone method, and why most players prefer it
Open your character’s mobile phone, select the keypad and dial 1-999-289-9633. The digits spell BUZZOFF on a phone keypad. The number then persists in your recent calls list, so re-activating the cheat later takes two taps instead of twelve button presses. This works identically on PC, PlayStation and Xbox, and it is genuinely the most efficient method if you plan to use several cheats in one session — dial each one once at the start and you have effectively built a cheat menu.
Where to find helicopters in GTA 5 without a cheat
Because cheats disable achievements and trophies, plenty of players prefer fixed spawns. Los Santos International Airport has civilian helicopters on and around its helipads, though entering restricted areas raises your wanted level. The hospital in East Los Santos reliably spawns a Maverick on its rooftop helipad, reachable by the internal stairs or a nearby building. There is a helipad close to Vespucci Beach on the west side. The Pillbox Hill medical centre downtown often has one on the roof. Fort Zancudo, the military base to the northwest, carries heavier aircraft including Cargobobs and jets, but expect an immediate five-star response. The Humane Labs facility and the prison also have periodic helicopter spawns.
Buying a permanent helipad instead
The cleanest long-term solution is property. Franklin can purchase the Vinewood and Sandy Shores helipads once he has the money, and each gives you a guaranteed helicopter spawn you can return to at any point in the campaign, with no wanted level and no achievement penalty. Since money in Story Mode becomes effectively limitless after Lester’s assassination stock market missions, this is an easy purchase to justify. It is also the only way to reliably get a specific aircraft rather than whatever happens to be sitting on a rooftop. Spotting rooftop helipads at a distance is easier on a sharp panel, one of the points raised in our high refresh rate monitor buying guide.
Flying a helicopter well in GTA 5
Helicopter handling in GTA V is more forgiving than a simulator but less forgiving than a car. On console, the right trigger increases rotor power to climb, the left trigger reduces it to descend, the left stick controls pitch and roll, and the shoulder buttons handle yaw. The two most common beginner mistakes are over-committing the nose downward to gain speed, which turns into an unrecoverable dive at low altitude, and trying to hover precisely rather than making wide, gentle approaches. On PC, check the flight bindings in the controls menu before your first flight, since the default helicopter layout differs from both the on-foot and driving schemes and is worth remapping. Precise stick or mouse control matters enormously here, as our controller buying guide and gaming mouse buying guide both explain.
Cheats that pair well with a helicopter
The Buzzard’s fragility is best solved with invincibility, entered as PAINKILLER on PC or dialled as 1-999-724-654-5537, though it expires after five minutes and needs re-entering. Max health and armour is TURTLE or 1-999-887-853. The complete weapons pack is TOOLUP or 1-999-866-587. Lowering your wanted level with LAWYERUP or 1-999-5299-3787 is invaluable once police helicopters start converging on you. The Skyfall cheat, SKYFALL or 1-999-759-3255, drops you into freefall high above the map, which pairs neatly with the parachute cheat, SKYDIVE or 1-999-759-3483.
Limitations you need to know
Cheats never save, so anything with a duration must be re-entered after every reload or death. They function only in Story Mode; attempting to bring cheats into GTA Online results in account penalties rather than aircraft. Using cheats disables achievements and trophies, so complete your award list first if that matters to you. The Buzzard also needs clear space to spawn — try it in an alley, indoors or under an overpass and it will either fail silently or clip into geometry and explode. Stand on an open road, rooftop, car park or beach instead. Long flying sessions across Blaine County are also where display and seating quality show up, covered in our gaming monitor buying guide and gaming chair buying guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheat for a helicopter in GTA 5 on Xbox?
Press B, B, LB, B, B, B, LB, LT, RB, Y, B, Y in rapid succession while on foot in Story Mode, or dial 1-999-289-9633 on your in-game phone. Both spawn a Buzzard Attack Chopper in front of you if there is enough open space available.
Can I spawn a Cargobob or Maverick with a cheat?
No, the Buzzard Attack Chopper is the only helicopter available through any cheat code. Cargobobs appear at Fort Zancudo and in certain mission contexts, while Mavericks spawn on hospital rooftops and helipads around Los Santos, so both require finding rather than spawning.
Where is the easiest helicopter to steal in GTA 5?
The hospital rooftop helipad in East Los Santos is the most reliable and lowest-risk option, since it regularly spawns a Maverick and carries no automatic wanted level. Los Santos International Airport is also dependable but triggers a police response when you enter restricted areas.
Do helicopter cheats work in GTA Online?
They do not. All GTA 5 cheats are restricted to single-player Story Mode, and attempting to introduce cheats or modifications into GTA Online breaches Rockstar’s terms of service, typically resulting in account suspension or a permanent ban instead of a free helicopter.
